Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 435 6th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2020)
Policies on the Vietnamese Language in Vietnam – A Historical - Social Analysis Truong Thi My Linh1,*
1Ph.D. Student, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 117198, Russia *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT The article gives an overview of the Vietnamese state’s policies toward the Vietnamese language from 1945 to the present. The historical - social analysis of state policies on the Vietnamese language was conducted by analysis, synthesis, and comparison methods. The primary materials used in this article are the legal documents of the modern Vietnamese state through historical periods and research works of some Vietnamese scholars. The author established two significant tasks: Clarifying the necessity of making policies on the Vietnamese language in Vietnam and analyzing the movement and development of these policies in the legal process of Vietnam. The research results show that: (1) The development and improvement of policies on the Vietnamese language in Vietnam are significant because of these reasons: the rational and civilized behaviors of a sovereign state to its official language, the critical role of the Vietnamese language in the culture and development of Vietnamese people, the multi-ethnic country, the extensive use of Vietnamese, and new challenges put for Vietnamese language in the process of cultural exchange today; (2) Policies toward the Vietnamese language during the historical periods incessantly development and supplement, and always ensure consistency in recognizing the importance of the Vietnamese language. Keywords: Vietnamese language, policy, law, state. corresponding to each historical context and the 1. INTRODUCTION development of society.
Vietnamese language or the “the Quoc Ngu script” has had a more-than-three-century history of development 2. RESULTS attaching to the missionary activities of Western missionaries in the 16th century in Vietnam [1]. By the time the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed in 2.1. The Essential of the policies on the the middle of the twentieth century, Vietnamese had a vital Vietnamese language in Vietnam position unmatched in its development history, became the common script for the whole nation. In a rule-of-law state Firstly, the policy towards Vietnamese language is the like the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which later familiar and civilized conduct of a sovereign state towards became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (since 1976), the official language on Vietnamese territory. For such an the Vietnamese language has become one subject of important issue as the spoken and written language of the national law and policy. The policy has understood as the nation, the formulation and implementation of policies choice of the state in conducting a specific issue in society. towards it are necessary. In fact, not only in Vietnam but Policies are categories of content that are usually also in any civilized country in the world, there have been represented in the forms of decisions, plans, activities, and regulations at different levels referring to its official legal documents of the state. Research on policies toward language. In the Russian Constitution, Article 68 stipulated: the Vietnamese language has been the attractive matter of “1. The Russian language shall be a state language on the many scientific fields from languages, culture, history to whole territory of the Russian Federation. 2. The law, politics. The context of increasing international Republics shall have the right to establish their own state cooperation and cultural exchange nowadays has placed languages. In the bodies of state authority and local self- the Vietnamese language in front of new challenges. A government, state institutions of the Republics they shall historical - social view of the policy on the Vietnamese be used together with the state language of the Russian language will contribute relevant and meaningful ideas in Federation. 3. The Russian Federation shall guarantee to the development process of the national writing. The all of its peoples the right to preserve their native language author has mobilized the methods of analysis, synthesis, and to create conditions for its study and development.” [2] and comparison as the means of conducting this study. In On the contrary, these regulations are considered to be the this process, the author placed legal documents and policies of the Vietnamese state on the timeline,
Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 276 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 435
process of establishing a legal and compulsory basis for challenges have come from preserving the Vietnamese the entire population to use an official language. language and using foreign languages. Correct regulations Secondly, the important role of the language in culture on the use of the Vietnamese language will be the state's and development of Vietnamese people. Script is an indispensable conduct towards the preservation and even integral part of the culture. All cultures from the beginning export of Vietnamese culture. Many misleading to the present have associated with the handwriting phenomena in using the Vietnamese language, as well as element. In Vietnam, the Dong Son culture period in the the increasing necessity of using world-wide languages, first millennium BC even had “script” [3]. In the process will require appropriate policies on the Vietnamese of cultural exchange, integration, and development, language. Without sufficient interest in Vietnamese, the Vietnamese society has passed the periods of using the process of cultural exchange, in particular, the language Han characters, creating the Nom scripts, using the French exchange, will lead to negative consequences and the language, and creating the Quoc Ngu script - Vietnamese object of damage will be the Vietnamese language. language [4]. In fact, some peoples in the world undergone colonizations received the official script from the people colonized themselves. This did not happen to Vietnam. 2.2. Policies on the Vietnamese State toward The destiny of the Vietnamese language has been the Vietnamese language through Historical associated with the factor of French colonial aggression since the 19th century. Under the French domination, Periods Vietnamese ranked after French and was only used in - Changes in the way of defining the position of the literary and journalistic writing. However, when it Vietnamese language in Vietnamese policies and laws regained its independence, the government's policy was to during historical periods use Vietnamese as a universal language for the entire + From 1945 to 1969: The Vietnamese language was not nation. Currently, Vietnamese is also a means to dominate directly mentioned as the official language of the country the knowledge of Vietnamese people, especially learning but as “the Quoc Ngu script”. Article 18 of the first national history and culture. 4.000 years of Vietnamese Constitution of Vietnam in 1946 states: “The candidate cultural traditions have preserved in Vietnamese. must have the right to vote, must be at least 21 years old, Vietnamese has become an essential language for and must read and write the Quoc Ngu script.” [5] Vietnamese people. + From 1969 to 1998: Vietnamese was defined as “the Thirdly, the policy towards the Vietnamese language is common language”. During this period, the Vietnamese urgent in a multi-ethnic country. Vietnam has 54 ethnic Constitution 1980 did not address Vietnamese issues groups, of which, Viet people account for 86% (also directly. However, in practice, Vietnamese was used as a Vietnamese users) [3]. In addition to Vietnamese, ethnic means of communication in many fields of administration, minorities still use spoken and written language within politics, culture, and society. However, the phrase “the their ethnic boundaries. The provisions on the Vietnamese common language” was used in the Government Council’s language with the main content of affirming its position as Decision No.153 of August 20, 1969, with the regulation the official language among languages existing in the “All ethnic groups living in the territory of Vietnam need Vietnam’s territory are fundamental. This is related to to learn and using the common language of the whole equality in society, while the language of the majority is country.” [6] By 1980, the Government Council’s used as a common language and also facilitates different Decision No. 53 of February 22, 1980 also recorded the ethnic minorities to communicate with each other in one “common language” status of the Vietnamese language: language. From there, the issue has linked up with the “the common language is the language of all ethnic relations between official language policy and the conduct communities in Vietnam.”[7] of unofficial languages. The provisions to both ensure the + From 1998 to 2013: The Vietnamese language was preservation of linguistic diversity and respect for ethnic stated by law as the “official language”. Entering this stage, minorities should be expressed through policies on official the field of education took on a more critical responsibility languages. for Vietnamese and the fact that the Law on Primary Fourthly, the Vietnamese language has not limited to Education dated December 10, 1998, stated: “Vietnamese national scopes. This has been an indispensable history of is the official language used in schools.” [8] From here, the migration process of Vietnamese people that took Vietnamese has had a clear and essential position in the place for centuries due to wars and divisions in Vietnam. language system with a specific legal basis. The Law on That tangible migration leads to the invisible migration of Education 2005, in Article 7, continued to stipulate the Vietnamese language. Although that migration is “Vietnamese is the official language used in schools and hidden, its products are visible in the overseas Vietnamese other educational institutions.” [9] community. The Vietnamese language has become an + From 2013 to the present: Vietnamese has been invisible link between overseas Vietnamese and ethnic, recognized by law as both an “official language” and a origin factors. Therefore, in a specific aspect, the policies “national language”. From the 2013 Constitution, the on the Vietnamese language needs to pay attention to its interest of legislators for Vietnamese has been deeply borderlessness, i.e., to overseas Vietnamese people. reflected in Article 5 with the acknowledgment “The Fifthly, the process of cultural exchange today has put the national language is Vietnamese. Ethnic groups have the Vietnamese language ahead of modern challenges. These
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right to use their spoken and written language, preserve preserve the purity of the Vietnamese language: Preserving their national identity, promote their fine customs, and developing the capital of our language; speaking and practices, traditions, and culture.” [10] At the same time, writing according to the rules of our language; preserving Article 11, Law on Education in 2019 also continued to the identity, quintessence, style of our language in all affirm “Vietnamese is the official language used in forms of literature (art, politics, science, technology). [14] educational institutions.” [11] + The second period: After the liberation of South The step-by-step process of establishing the position as the Vietnam, the unification of the country from 1975 to the national language of Vietnamese shows at least the present. When the country’s history entered the period of following issues: (1) Deeper interest in Vietnamese, (2) peace and independence, the Vietnamese language has Irreplaceable position of the Vietnamese language in been deeply studied its role and meaning to the nation. At Vietnamese society, (3) Consistent policy on respect and this time, state policies focused on the following: development of the Vietnamese language in the process of Firstly, recognizing the rights and responsibilities of using modern national history. Vietnamese. Decision No. 53 of the Government Council - The impact of policies on the Vietnamese language in the on February 22, 1980 noted: “The common language is the history of the Vietnamese nation language of the Vietnamese ethnic community. It is an + The first period: This period lasted from the birth of the indispensable means for exchanging between localities and Democratic Republic of Vietnam and in the two wars of peoples throughout the country, enabling localities and resistance against French colonialism and American peoples to develop equally in the fields of economy, imperialism of the Vietnamese nation (from 1945 to 1975). culture, science and technology, strengthening the great Impacts with state policies on the Vietnamese language are unity bloc of the entire people and exercising the rights of mainly expressed through the following contents: national equality. Therefore, all Vietnamese people have Firstly, calling for learning Vietnamese. Decree No.19 of the obligations and rights to study and use the common the President of the Provisional Government of the language.” [7] Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 8, 1945, Secondly, standardizing the Vietnamese language. After stipulated that “Learning the Quoc Ngu script is the country’s reunification, in the late 1979 and early compulsory and free of charge for everyone.” [12]. This 1980s, the responsibility for standardizing the Vietnamese policy was further developed until 1969 with Prime language was expected in the conferences between the Ministerial Decision No. 153 of August 20, 1969, Vietnam Social Science Committee and the Institute of stipulating: “All ethnic groups living in the territory of Educational Science - Ministry of Education. In 1984, the Vietnam need to learn and use the common language. The Ministry of Education and Training issued a vital legal State should try its best to help people of ethnic minorities document to promulgate the regulation on Vietnamese to learn quickly common language.”[6] spelling and Vietnamese terminology applied to textbooks, Secondly, formulating forms and measures for learning newspapers, and papers of the education sector. [15] Vietnamese in the condition that the country was still poor Thirdly, the issue of using Vietnamese and foreign and backward. Decree No.19 of the President of the languages. Government Decree No. 194 of December 31, Provisional Government ordered: “Within one year, all 1994, on advertising activities on the Vietnamese territory, Vietnamese people over the age of eight must be able to stated the voices and words used in advertisements must read and write the Quoc Ngu script. Past that time limit, a be Vietnamese voices and scripts, except for cases Vietnamese over 8 years old who can not read and write prescribed by law. In cases of using both voices and words the Quoc Ngu script will be fined.” [12] The Presidential of foreign languages, must write Vietnamese letters first, Decree No.20 of the Provisional Government on above, and in a larger size than foreign words, must read September 8, 1945, ordered: “In the whole of Vietnam, Vietnamese first, foreign languages later [16]. farmers and workers will have popular evening classes. From 2013, Vietnamese has entered the period of Within six months, every village and urban must have at protection and concern of the entire nation due to the least a class that teaches at least 30 people.” [13] status as a “national language”. Many “Vietnamese Thirdly, promoting the development of the Vietnamese improvement movements” and “improvements in language and maintaining links with the overseas Vietnamese language teaching” have brought about lively Vietnamese community. This task was assigned to debates in society. Typically, the modified Vietnamese universities of language at that time with the content of script of Professor Bui Hien [17] and the Vietnamese book teaching Vietnamese to foreigners. At the same time, the series of the advanced education program of the editor Vietnam Television Station also established Vietnamese Professor Ho Ngoc Dai [18]. Negative and positive aspects teaching programs for Vietnamese people far away from that coexist in these debates are inevitable; however, from the Fatherland. a social perspective, people’s high interest in the Fourthly, preserving the purity of the Vietnamese language. Vietnamese language through these debates is undeniable. In a speech at the 1st Conference on Preserving the Vietnamese Language in 1966, the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong affirmed that our Vietnamese is very rich and beautiful. The conference concluded three steps to
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3. CONCLUSION [4] C. B. Huynh, Vietnamese cultural origins and identity, Thuan Hoa Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh Policies on the Vietnamese language in Vietnam have City, 2018. already existed in the modern Vietnamese state. Both practical and theoretical reasons point out the need to [5] The constitution of Vietnam, The National develop and complete these dealing with the following Assembly of Vietnam, 1946. fundamental aims: The policies toward the Vietnamese [6] The Government Council’s Decision No.153 on language are the reasonable and civilized conduct of a constructing, improving and using scripts of the ethnic sovereign state over its official language; the critical role minority, The Government Council of Vietnam, 1969. of the Vietnamese language for Vietnamese culture and human development; Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country; [7] The Government Council’s Decision No. 53 on the scope of using Vietnamese crosses Vietnamese guidelines for the writing of ethnic minorities, The national borders; the process of cultural exchange today Government Council of Vietnam, 1980. puts Vietnamese in front of new challenges. [8] Law on Primary Education, The National Assembly Policies of the Vietnamese state toward Vietnamese of Vietnam, 1998. through periods are both consistent and complementary. Up to now, Vietnamese is officially recognized by law as [9] Law on Education, The National Assembly of “official language”, “national language”. That process has Vietnam, 2005. witnessed substantial impacts of the state on the Vietnamese language despite the country’s difficult or [10] The constitution of Vietnam, The National favorable circumstances. The content of these impacts Assembly of Vietnam, 2013. manifests itself at various levels: calling for learning [11] Law on Education, The National Assembly of Vietnamese, establishing forms and measures for learning Vietnam, 2019. Vietnamese, promoting Vietnamese development and maintaining links with the overseas Vietnamese [12] The Presidential Decree No.19 on establishing an community, preserving the purity of the Vietnamese affordable class for farmers and workers, The President language, recognizing the rights and responsibilities of of the Provisional Government of Vietnam, 1945. using the Vietnamese language, standardizing and [13] The Presidential Decree No.20 on education, The improving the Vietnamese language. President of the Provisional Government of Vietnam, In the flow of social development, the State needs to 1945. continue to concretize policies on the Vietnamese language, consider decisions related to current issues such [14] V. L. Pham, The Vietnamese language exists, as improving Vietnamese. All the right policies are always Vietnamese people live, 2019. Retrieved from based on: the solid theoretical and practical bases, the https://news.zing.vn/tieng-viet-con-nguoi-viet-con- derivation from the aspirations of the people, the cultural post914554.html traditions of the nation, and the requirements of [15] The Ministerial Decision No.240 on Vietnamese development in the new era. spelling and Vietnamese terminology applied to textbooks, newspapers, and papers of the education sector, The Minister of Education and Training of REFERENCES Vietnam, 1984. [16] Government Decree No. 194 on advertising [1] Q. H. Do, V. N. Tran, Modernity and the activities on the Vietnamese territory, The Government transformation of Vietnamese culture in modern times, of Vietnam, 1994. Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, p. 171. [17] Information on https://vnexpress.net/topic/de-xuat- [2] The Constitution of the Russian Federation, the cai-tien-chu-viet-tieng-viet-22616 Constitutional Assembly of the Russian Federation, 1993. [18] Information on https://vnexpress.net/topic/sach- giao-khoa-cua-gs-ho-ngoc-dai-gay-tranh-cai-23280 [3] History Department - Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities - Ha Noi National University, Vietnam in world history, Hanoi National University Press, Hanoi, 2015, p. 29.
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